Electrical machines, such as brushless permanent magnet (BLPM) motors, typically encounter problems with cogging and ripple torque, both of which cause noise and vibration and can negatively affect the motor starting performance. The sum of the cogging and ripple torque components is defined as the electrical machine pulsating torque. Ripple torque is characterized as a cyclical variation in a delivered torque to a load caused by the interaction of the rotor magnetic field with harmonics in the stator current magnetomotive forces (mmf's). Cogging torque describes the non-uniform torque as a result of the interaction of the rotor magnetization and angular variations in an air gap permeance (or reluctance) associated with the shape of the slots of the stator. By definition, no stator excitation is involved in cogging torque production. There is a demand for an electric motor that minimizes the effect of cogging and ripple torque and that exhibits smooth operation. Further, there is a demand for an electrical machine having a rotor operable to provide a plurality of power or motor ratings for a given motor frame, and thereby reduce tooling costs and inventory. Further, there is a demand for an electrical machine to be easily configurable for operation with different combinations of the number of phases and poles.